A Perfectly Lovely Disaster
by spacegypsy1
Summary: A Daniel and Vala multiple choice: A Daniel and Vala love story. Or misunderstanding story. Or a Vala flight story. Or Daniel's ineptitude at communicating with Vala story. Or all of the above.
1. What A Mess

A Perfectly Lovely Disaster

From: Spacegypsy1

Chapter One: What a Mess

~0i0~

Silhouetted against the backdrop of stars and swirling universes with the wisp of a certain solar system far off she stood at the precipitous edge of the mountaintop.

A meteor shot across the skyscape at the same time a thought shot through her mind. Love had almost shrunk her heart to stone and almost sucked the soul right out of her... almost.

Stark quiet reigned until the crunch of footsteps along the path behind her broke the silence.

Vala took a deep calming breath. Steeled her resolve. Straightened her spine. She wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Do you imagine he is mirroring you? Looking up and...?"

"No."

The quick and firm response surprised Phena. "Well, my friend, you certainly know how to pick them."

"My picker is broken."

"Sorry? What?"

"It's a Tau'ri expression. Meaning I can't pick a mate who is good for me."

"I see. Well, you are very good at many things, Vala. I've known you for many years and I have to wonder why you haven't fixed that little problem. But you haven't so you can't blame him. Whoever _him_ is."

"I'm not blaming him!"

"Just missing him?"

Vala let out a disgruntled sigh. "Yes."

"I'm sorry you are hurting." Phena tossed her mane of curly, fiery red hair, sending out a soft tinkle from the bells dangling from her ears before turning and walking away, "Tea is steeping, Vala," the woman called out, "come along, it's very late. It's Molesh tea. Your favorite."

"Chamomile," Vala said catching up with her friend.

"What?"

"The tea, it's also called Chamomile tea. The plant the tea is made from on Earth. It's a Tau'ri word."

Pulling the multicolored wisp of a shawl tighter to ward off the chill, Phe smiled, "You are turning into quite the Tau'ri. Interesting."

The two women walked side by side through the menagerie of junk and treasures in the small warehouse and on through to a bricked patio plush with plants and a menagerie of colored seating. Each picked a few flowers then continued onward into the cocoon of Phe's kitchen - which she referred to as the 'comfort room'.

"It's a bit chilly to sit outside tonight. Let's sit here. I'll fetch the tea."

Vala sat at the small rough wood table admiring the rainbow colored cloth haphazardly laying across the middle. Now she remembered why she always was attracted to those Bohemian decorated rooms in the magazines on Earth.

"There are cookies too. I baked them for you. I have missed you all these years. And, I haven't baked since See'arie moved out."

"The one with the eye patch? Long, long hair? Lots of scars. Still a striking beauty?" Vala asked as Phe made her way back to the table with the teapot and a plate of cookies.

"Yes."

"What happened to her?"

"Lucian Alliance. She was quite reckless. Let us talk about other things. I'll pour. It is very nice to have you back, Vala." Sitting down across from Vala Phe handed her a cup of tea in a delicate china cup. "I suppose that this last fellow was different from all the others. You really fell in love with him. Such a pity. I confess, I have never seen you so much in love that it shows through every pore of your being. You are sure there is no hope?"

Vala eyed Phe over the rim of her cup sipping slowly to keep the need for tears locked inside.

"Alright. So be it. I have plenty of work for you. That is when you shake off this mooning about and get back to expert treasure liberation." With a nod, Phe popped a cookie into her mouth.

"I'm pregnant."

Crumbs spewed forth as Phe nearly choked. "Oh blessed comet tails! This IS a mess!"

With a grin and a one shoulder shrug Vala insisted, "Doesn't mean I can't do some specialized liberating. I'll need to earn my keep, Phe."

Looking away for a moment Phe groaned. "Too dangerous," she said turning back to Vala. "You can manage the warehouse, it could use a bit of organizing, cataloging."

"How about inside sales?"

"What?"

"Buyer handling."

"Hot exploding meteorites! No! Also dangerous! Gods, Mal Doran. You can earn your keep without putting yourself and the... the... the... thingie in danger. Don't you think you should tell him?"

"No. And it's not a thingie. It's a baby. I am absolutely not going to tell him! I'm not having him insist on marriage! Make his life more miserable with an unwanted wife and child. I know him. He'd be determined to 'do the right thing' as he sees it. And Phe, the man has had enough bad turns, I'm not adding me into that mix! Never!"

"What about your past... bad turns? Don't you deserve..."

"Actually, Phe, I'm quite okay with this. I love him beyond reason. Miss him so very much. Crave his touch. Ache to hear his voice. I long to look into his lovely blue eyes, but," Vala laid a hand on her belly, "I have enough of him to love right here."

Phe sipped her tea, her black eyes studying Vala. "You certainly have changed."

"As have you." Vala picked up a cookie then set it back down without a bite. "You didn't seem to know I was coming. Odd. You always have the strongest intuition."

"I'm getting old. Anyway, yes we have had some times together."

"What happened to that old two-seater?"

"Every piece of it is scatted in the warehouse."

Vala took a cookie and nibbled on it. "That first time we met I thought for sure I was going to die. Really. Running, literally out of that village, beat-up, starving and you just pull up in that silly runabout like nothing was amiss, popped the little door open and yelled, 'Hey you! Hop in!' and I did without a second thought."

Laughing Phe nodded. "And the damned thing stalled with the Alliance bearing down on us."

"And you just smiled and said, 'Hi I'm Phena Tam'."

"Yes, I remember your face as you said in total awe, 'The Phena Tam?'"

Now Vala was laughing. "Oh right, and I only said I'm Vala, and then you looked surprised, 'Not THE Vala Mal Doran?' I felt so proud that THE Phena Tam knew who I was."

"And we both laughed, you crawled into the back, rearranged whatever wires you could and off we went."

"Fun times." Both women said at once.

"Yes, fun pirating and escaping sudden death. Rolling around under the covers." Vala smiled at her friend.

"Until I introduced you to Keto."

"Right. Sorry about that. Leaving."

"You mean sneaking out in the middle of the night?"

"He was a charmer."

"That didn't turn out so well either, did it?"

"We're still friends. I think."

"Well, you are here and you will always have a place and work. So worry not. I'm just not sure how this thingie... er... baby thing is going to work out. I had a pet Calapo once and it was a mess."

"I remember that little monkey. And do not compare that miniature monster to my baby."

Phe grinned. "Hmm. And what about you? How long have you been in love with 'him'?"

"Let's not talk about that now. Maybe another day." With a deep, sad sigh Vala lowered her eyes and stared unseeing at her hands.

"Oh, Vala. Whenever are you going to find long-lasting happiness?"

"Whenever this baby joins me in this physical world." Vala reached and squeezed Phe's hand. "Thank you for always taking me in. This should be the last time."

"Hmm. We can grow old together. Or he'll come and steal you away."

"Never. Phe. Never. He won't come. Besides, no one knows where I am. I purposely never mentioned you or this planet!"

Nodding in agreement Phe decided not to mention that while she may have been a bit surprised by Vala's visit she now had a strong feeling, a knowing. That man was coming for Vala.

~0i0~TBC -

 **NOTE:** Just so you know... If I write a multi-chapter story (noted as TBC - To Be Continued) it is complete when I post the first chapter, it may be in beta and I might be tweaking areas but it is not going to be abandoned! Besides, when have I ever written more than 10 chapters? And rarely do I write more than one chapter. It's my 'thang'.


	2. Exactly!

A Perfectly Lovely Disaster

Chapter Two: Exactly

~0i0~

"It's been almost three months, Vala. You're crying again. I hate to see you like this. And besides, it's not good for the baby."

Wiping her face with the back of her hand Vala nodded repeatedly before responding. "I know, I know. I... I shouldn't have run, but I had to. It's making me crazy. I should have said something, but I didn't want to wait until he got back. I feared I would have been grounded right there on Earth with no escape. Daniel would find out I was pregnant and my life would be even more messed up making him stuck with me and a baby. He is or at least can be very kind and tender and he takes responsibility very, very seriously. Everything is so, so exact for him. It's so complicated."

Phe sat beside Vala on the small bench on the patio. "We could go to Loris 4. Send a message from the DataPort and there won't be any personal information or connection to follow. You can say what you want to and leave it at that."

"Loris 4? You think we could do that? Do you have a ship? A whole one? One that is put together? One that flies?" Vala looked hopefully at her friend.

"I do have a ship, I have a Tel'tak with a cloak. It might need a little Mal Doran Magic but not much. We can go soon. I think you will feel better about running if you send a message and no one can track you from Loris 4."

"I'm not sure the Tau'ri even know about the DataPort. I've never heard it mentioned. It doesn't have a Stargate, I mean Chapa'ai."

"I have seen a team of Tau'ri wearing the same uniform there once before. A few years ago. We need to be careful."

"Oh. That's a bit disturbing. I'll have to wear a disguise. When can we go?"

~0i0~

Teal'c remained quietly intrigued as Daniel Jackson stuttered nonsense and Samantha Carter, Colonel Mitchell and O'Neill all yelled vying to be the dominant speaker.

"Shut up!" Sam told the lot of them and everyone stopped. "Now. Daniel, again, what exactly did you say and or do? What exactly happened that made her leave? Exactly."

Daniel took a step back and plopped down in the chair behind his desk. Teal'c handed him a cup of coffee. Jack nodded in agreement with Sam and then turned his back and began to look through the pile of artifacts on the counter. Mitchell crossed his arms and glared.

Leaning over Daniel's desk Sam eyed him in silence for a long time. "Exactly. One more time." She finally said, "From the beginning. No skipping back and forth. No evading the truth."

"Okie dokie." Daniel said, nervously smiling up at Sam. "Exactly is what you want and exactly is what you'll get." He took a gulp of hot coffee to fortify himself, looked aside slowly scanning the other occupants before turning back to Sam.

"Vala came to my room. It was late. I was packing to leave with SG-6, I was in a hurry because it was a last minute diplomatic mission and SG-6 was leaving in about five hours. The two warring factions were about to blow up their world. I wanted to get a little sleep... anyway, she came in because she wanted to know if she could sleep in my room while I was gone. She's never asked before she always just slept in there when I'm offworld. You all know she sometimes still has nightmares. Funny how she's changed. Anywhoo, I invited her to stay and sleep with me that night..."

"Excuse me?" Mitchell choked out.

Sam shot Mitchell a death ray look and turned back to Daniel. "Ah boy, I can't say I didn't see that one coming. Just wasn't expecting it on base."

"Yeah, that's the gist of the issue." Daniel said shaking his head.

"Really, Carter? And you never said a word." Jack had turned around still holding a round artifact.

Taking the artifact from Jack, Sam placed it back on the counter. "I wasn't sure and Vala never mentioned they were getting... that close."

"Continue, Daniel Jackson."

"Right, Teal'c. So, instead of playing coy and spouting off her usually rhetoric Vala stared confused. As if frozen in place. And, therefore, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. Fondled her. Stripped her. Tossed her on my bed... exactly."

"Way too much information, Daniel." Sam griped.

"Exactly, you said exactly. We made love all night long. Never slept. It was the most amazing night of my life." Daniel removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, replaced the glasses and scanned the room making eye contact with each of his friends. "I told her as I got dressed, in a hurry because I was having trouble leaving her, and I was very late, and Walter had already called to tell me SG-6 was waiting... I told her, exactly this - 'This is wrong, we shouldn't be doing this. We'll talk when I get back'. And I left. Oh gods, I meant it was wrong on base. I meant we shouldn't be intimate at work. In our quarters. I meant we should talk about moving in together, maybe even … even marriage. But I didn't say that."

"For a genius you sure are dumb, Jackson." Mitchell uncrossed his arms and approached Daniel. "It's already been weeks. I don't think she's coming back. So... Now what?"

Jack propped his six on the side of the desk. "Now we find her. Wonder boy here explains his ignoramus self."

With a cock of her head, Sam asked, "Ignoramus, Sir?"

"Exactly, damn it!" Jack looked at Daniel, shaking his head.

Mitchell pipped in, intentionally added fuel to this fire, "Jackson, did you happen to tell her how you feel about her?"

"Of course I did!" Frustrated, Daniel's voice rose in anger.

"What? What did you say?"

With a glare Daniel responded sarcastically, "I love you."

"That's nice buddy, but what'd you tell her?"

Daniel felt trapped as his friends moved closer. He took a deep breath and told them, voice just above a whisper. "I whispered that I loved her, I told her on quite a few occasions... as I made love to her. There! Does that satisfy you?"

"I'm okay with that." Jack said and was immediately punched on the arm by Sam.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c moved in closer, "did Vala Mal Doran reply?"

"Yes. She said she loves me."

"I see. These words of love exchanged were said with meaning or a result of orga..."

"Stop!" Sam came to stand behind Daniel in support. "This has gone far enough."

"Carter, you can leave if you need to." Jack barked out.

Daniel stood. "I think you should all leave."

"Oh, we are leaving, Danny-boy. You messed up, but so did she, running... old habits die hard. We are going to find her so you two can fix this."

"Sir, we don't even know where to start." Mitchell said, confused.

"Do."

Curious, Sam looked at Jack. "Do?"

"I have contacts, Carter. I have leads. I still get trickle up spy stuff."

"Spy stuff, Sir? "

"Yes, spy stuff. I get them all the time."

"Of course you do!"

~0i0~Loris 4

Laughing out loud Phe turned back forward away from Vala who followed behind her.

"What? What's so funny?" Vala asked skipping ahead to catch up with her friend.

"The skirt. It's so old and so short on you – nowhere near your ankles! And that blouse! Those wide swishy sleeves, and then the hip wrap. Whatever possessed you to pick all different colors and patterns! And the head scarf." Phe laughed harder, stopping in her tracks. "It's all lopsided, and those damned bells won't stop tinkling and I can't believe you found those old things!"

"It's a disguise. Just in case. Keep moving, Phe. Don't let me stop to think about what I'm doing. As to the skirt, well, I'm taller than you. And I had to have something to wrap my hair up in. It's all perfect. Besides, I like all of it. It reminds me of the Tau'ri gypsy tribes and also the ones on TV. Like belly dancers without the belly showing. I had to have all the patterns to cover up the belly."

"You are barely showing. Besides, it would be a good disguise element. No one would be looking for a pregnant Vala Mal Doran! The fact that you are not in the drab uniform or in the black leather will keep anyone from recognizing who you are or who you might be if someone comes describing you to find out any information."

"Yes, Phe, **if** someone comes looking."

~TBC~


	3. In Your Windows

Chapter Three: In Your Windows

~0i0~ SGC

Walter looked surprised, stood and turned to find General Landry already standing there. "Sir! I was just on my way to see you."

"What's up, Chief?"

"Sir, there's a message coming in from Loris 4's DataPort."

"Do we have anyone on Loris 4?"

"No Sir. No personnel that I know of. General O'Neill did have some locals there back during the Gou'ald conflict."

"Alright. Let's hear it."

"It's for Dr. Jackson... from Vala."

Landry's bushy brows hiked upwards. "Contact General O'Neill. Then Dr. Jackson."

"Yes, sir."

"Good for her."

"Sir?"

"Nothing."

~0i0~

"Loris 4, sir? Long way. No Stargate. So... if we're goin', let's get this dog and pony show on the road. Gear up! Sam, warm up the engines. Sir, you gonna take the command?" Mitchell asked.

Jack shook his head. "Nope. I'm the observer. This is your circus."

"Thank you, sir. Teal'c can you keep an eye on the archeologist? I think he might be a little rattled."

Daniel sent a scowl towards Mitchell.

"I will do so. I am sure all this will work out, Colonel Mitchell. They will be happy again."

Sam, Mitchell, and Daniel all cut their eyes over to Teal'c wondering just what he might know.

With a heavy sigh Daniel said, "Well, honestly, that makes me feel better."

"Me too." Sam added.

"Me three." Mitchell agreed, then gestured towards the door. "Head 'em up, move 'em out. We're rollin'"

~0i0~ Aboard Ship

Alone in his quarters on the ship, Daniel once again turned the recording on. The voice that haunts his soul and brings him both joy and sadness speaks, tearfully sniffling. He can see in his mind's eye her rubbing her nose on the back of her hand. He hears the attempts to be cheerful, knowing she would be straightening up, sitting regally, shaking her hair from her face...

 _'My darling,'_ she begins, shooting through him like a thousand arrows, _'I must explain. I realize that you, my dearest friend, are not in love with me. And, I fear you don't think I truly love you, or that I am even capable of loving you. I know my past attempts were anything but truly revealing of my feelings. I...'_ She stopped the recording there and Daniel started the next one immediately. _'I tried to hold onto the friendship and find that I have gone so far over the edge in how I love you that I cannot stay. I'm so sorry. It's not your fault. I know I ruined our friendship for you and any chance of a romance with my years of less than sincere flirting and those sexual in your windows. Those were how I could keep you at a distance so as not to get hurt myself. I seem to have mucked it all up anyway. I do hurt. But I wanted to spare you having to kindly push me aside. I know that what we shared that last night did not hold the same meaning for you as it does for me. So I left... I take with me the memory of being in your arms that night and it will always be the ultimate treasure that I have ever stolen... I... I... goodbye, my Daniel'."_

He started the recording again, whispering, "I love all your 'in your windows' and I will find you and I will tell you how much I love you. And it will be me who apologizes. I can't bear the thought of hurting you."

~0i0~ Loris 4

The team was surprised even though SG-4 had reported that Loris, a bustling city, had shot up into a major metropolis in the last few years. By appearance it resembled Las Vegas in the 1950s. Lots of colors, lights, movement and noise."

"There, that's it! We need to go there." Daniel yelled, pointing at the DataPort, foreboding and vast, in the distance.

"Won't help to go in and ask." Jack said and followed SG1 as they took off towards the DataPort.

~0i0~

Stepping up to the giant of a man behind a desk Daniel opened his mouth to speak.

"Silence, no need for words. We need nothing other than your payment and the coordinating code. The menu is there." The clerk pointed to a wall of data codes and the cost.

Daniel looked it over, confused.

Sam stepped forward, studied the board, brows furrowed, nodding her head as the information sunk in.

Mitchell kept a somewhat menacing gaze on the clerk. "Do not ask." The clerk said firmly.

"Ask what oh great seer of my thoughts?" Moving closer Mitchell set a firm jaw and rested his arm across the rifle nestled against his chest.

"The who, what, when, where, why of the message you received. And your weapon does not scare me." The man lightly touched a spot on his desk and a hidden force field became visible for a few seconds.

Teal'c grabbed the back of Mitchell's vest and hauled him out as the others turned and left. "We do not need trouble, Colonel Mitchell."

"Why the hell did we come here if it won't help?" Daniel asked glaring at Jack.

"I said if we go in and ask it won't help. The reason we came up here was..." Jack pointed to two small women, resembling the Wizard of Oz munchkins in both manner and dress, who scurried towards them.

"The Lollipop Guild?" Mitchell asked jerking free from Teal'c's grasp.

"They appear quite similar, do they not, Colonel Mitchell?"

Sam smiled, "Hmph, by the look on their faces I believe they may have some intel." She turned to Jack. "Friends of yours, sir?"

"Yep. We're on the right track."

The two stopped directly in front of Sam. One pointed to the other saying, "Ka'may." The other pointed to the first one, "Ka'rue." Then both pointed to Sam.

"Sam."

Ka'may and Ka'rue stepped aside and pointed to Mitchell.

"Cam."

"Sam, Cam." both women said together, laughing.

They moved on to Teal'c

"I am Teal'c of the Jaffa."

Again they spoke in unison. "Sam. Cam. Teal'c of the Jaffa." Pointing to Daniel the two waited.

"Daniel Jackson."

"Sam. Cam. Teal'c of the Jaffa, Daniel Jackson." They moved on to Jack. "O'Neill. We have news." Their hands turned palms up.

Jack reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of odd coins and counted them out evenly into each waiting hand.

"This is good." Ka'may and Ka'rue told him.

Ka'may stepped forward and spoke alone. "We believe the woman you seek came with Phena Tam."

"Phena Tam?" Mitchell asked.

Ka'rue exchanged places with Ka'may. "Phena Tam is famous in these parts for her years as a scout, a scavenger, a rescuer, and a ship for hire and now retired and a keeper of many items."

"And the woman who was with her, does she fit the description?" Daniel asked quietly, hopefully.

The two women exchanged places again. "The woman had heavy kohl around her eyes, but the eyes were a misty gray like the Herkimer Mists. And though she wore a headscarf some wisps of ink black hair had escaped."

Switching again Ka'may continued. "She was very tall. Like this woman." She pointed to Sam. "The skirt she wore was old and faded though multi-colored and multi-patterned. It was short on her, we believe it was an old one of Phena Tam's. Though on Phena Tam it would have been ankle length. It was in the style of the Mozula women – Phena was from the Mozula tribe of raiders and thieves before she settled down to scavenging many years ago."

Jack nodded. "Where can we find this Phena Tam?"

Coming together Ka'may and Ka'rue again spoke in unison. "We will provide the star chart to the planet last known as her home. It is difficult to find as it is a ghost planet. Be careful there when asking about your friend or Phena Tam. It can be dangerous. Phena Tam is very dangerous.

Mitchell scoffed. "Boo ghosts? Ghost planet? What the hell does that mean?"

~TBC


	4. Mirrors, Circles, Ghosts, Death Threats

Chapter Four: Mirrors, Circles, Ghost and Death Threats

~0i0~

On the ship as they raced away from Loris 4 Jack and SG-1 huddled around a table in the mess.

Sam took a deep breath, then smiled at Daniel and looked away from his sad face. "Ghost planets. I've heard of them off and on through the years but never found one."

"'Cause it's invisible like Casper?" Mitchell asked faking sincerity.

"Who is Casper, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Well, Teal'c, Casper was the friendly ghost."

"I have not met Casp..."

"Enough! Continue Sam," Daniel grouched.

"One planet, or sometimes planets, several moons or suns are in synchronistic orbit. One set or rarely more mirrors the other closely and you only see, detect, or find one." Tossing the star chart on the table Sam reached for a piece of fruit from the bowl. Looking at Daniel she whispered, "I didn't know."

With brows furrowed Daniel perused the chart. "It looks familiar."

"It should." Jack said leaning over the table across from Daniel. "It mirrors, Abydos."

Daniel's head shot up then back to the star chart. "Wha... right. It is. Life's a circle."

"What goes around comes around." Mitchell stated.

Placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder, Teal'c concurred. "Indeed."

~0i0~

"Phe! Phe?"

Phe turned from her work when the young man came rushing in calling her name. "What Jecko? What's wrong?"

"I may not be so sure. That is to say, if it's wrong. There's a small herd of strangers lookin' for you. Down in town. All dressed in that getup from the Tau'ri. They're lookin' for a woman, tall, dark hair, gray eyes, name of Vala Mala Ran. Told them no such person. But thought I'd best come quick and let you two know."

"How big is a small herd?"

"Like my giffers, maybe that many."

"Thanks, so five?"

"That how many I have?"

"Your egg laying giffers are a count of five, the others are two."

"That'd be all. See ya."

"Comets be damned that was quick!" Phe rubbed her greasy hands on a nearby rag.

"What was quick?" Vala asked coming into the warehouse.

"I think your lover and his friends have found us."

"How!?" Vala exclaimed with confusion and a slight tinge of fear.

"Probably those twin spies on Loris 4. Damn, they need to be struck by some meteor shower slivers! Nosy little creeps. What'd you call them?""

"Thing one and thing two. Are they coming here?"

"Who? The sisters?"

Frustrated, Vala raised her voice. "No, Phe."

"Not sure. Wait! Where are you going?"

"To hide, of course!"

"No. I'll deal with them but don't hide. Settle in the comfort room, get cozy, sit at the table. Just in case."

"In case what? They storm the castle? I. Do. Not. Want. To. See. Him."

"Hmph, go get some tea. Sit. Be still. I'll try to handle this as best suited. Trust me. I need to get ready. Go!"

Vala hesitated. "How many came?"

"Five."

"Oh, Jack came too. They're all here! Comets be damned Phe!"

~0i0~

"This is it. Has to be. A cross between a castle, a warehouse and something that guy couldn't describe." Mitchell scratched his head and then put his cap on backward.

"Did not 'that guy' say it was the 13th building on this trail? Is this then Warehouse 13?"

"I have no idea what that means." Cam moved ahead to catch up with Daniel. "Doors open. So, I say we go in, Jackson."

"Sounds like a plan, Mitchell." The two entered scanning the interior and stopped.

Sam, Jack, Teal'c followed stopping to stand to the back of Cam and Daniel.

From a side door a woman sauntered in looking angry. She wore leather pants, over-the-knee boots, leather bikini like top with a pretty flowing cloth long vest sashed in place by the two holsters that crisscrossed her hips. She held a staff weapon expertly and pointed directly at them.

"Hands up." She called out in a harsh tone.

"We're..." Jack started.

"Shut up until I ask you to speak. It's my way or no way. You will never, ever, ever, find her."

All of them raised their hands.

"I am Phena Tam. I am the protector of the one you seek. I am aware of the Tau'ri and their weapons. You will not win if you choose to fight." Her eyes were dark, almost black. Hair a rusty red, short and wildly curly, tied with a wide garish red band behind her ears as if she needed to keep her hair out of her face. She was not tall, not tall like Vala/Sam tall. She sneered displaying a small gap in her front teeth. When you put it all together she was a stunning beauty.

"You," she pointed the staff at Teal'c "you may go out that way and wait." With a quick jerk of her head Phe indicated glass fronted double doors where two well-armed men stand just outside.

Then she looked from one to the other. "You, blondie, definitely not you." And she again indicated the doors.

"Hmmm, let me see." She studies Jack. Points the staff at him and says, "Off you go."

Jack rolled his eyes but obeyed, slowly sauntering out towards Teal'c and Sam who stood at the doors watching.

"Well, this is a dilemma." Scrutinizing Cam and Daniel for quite some time she walked around them, eyes carefully and boldly scanning from toes to top of their heads.

"I pick you..." Phe pointed to Cam.

Daniel opened his mouth to protest but she glared threateningly.

"...to go out." She continued. "Because, this one," Pointing a finger nonchalantly towards Daniel, "is about to have a come-a-part. You know the drill, move."

Cam patted Daniel on the back and rushed out the doors.

"Speak. Quickly. What is your name and what do you want?"

"My name is Daniel Jackson and I want to talk to Vala. I need to explain."

"How does one explain 'This was wrong'?"

He took a deep breath, looked away a moment then back to Phe. "When one has been up all night – no pun intended – making love to the woman one loves and is late to report on a diplomatic mission where lives are at risk and one needs to actually say we shouldn't be doing this at work on base, and we need to talk about moving in together, but one blurts out something quite the opposite, that... that is how one tries to explain he is desperate to talk to the woman he loves, needs, craves."

Phe eyed him carefully. She knew he was telling the truth. But it was not up to her. "I see. I will try to convince her to listen to you. If she says no, you leave. If you hurt her again, make her cry, should she let you talk, or don't leave immediately if she says no, I will kill you. I swear it on every sun in every system in every universe!"

"Thank you."

"Wait outside with the rest."

Daniel nodded the headed for the doors.

"And, Daniel?"

He looked back over his shoulder, "Yes?"

"The little purple cakes were made by Vala. They are quite good, actually." Phe turned and walked away.

Outside Daniel joined the others at a table with cakes, including the little purple ones, and tea. He sat feeling overwhelmed. "Okay, this is weird. Tea and cakes? Nice patio setting. Birds singing. All seems so normal."

"What'd she say?" Jack asked.

Picking up a purple cake Daniel looked around the table. "That Vala made the purple cakes and that if Vala won't talk to me and I don't leave immediately, or if she does talk to me and I make Vala cry Phena will kill me. And she means it."

"Okay." Jack reached for a purple cake.

"Good luck," Cam grabbed a purple one too.

"I do not care for cake. However," Teal'c popped one in his mouth.

With a wicked smile Sam reached for one, eyes on Daniel. "You do know that if you make her happy she will cry, don't you?"

Daniel nearly choked on the little cake.

~0i0~

"Look out the window."

"I can't." Vala's attempt to sound uninterested failed.

"Look out the window, Vala." Phe urged.

Standing far to the side as to not be detected Vala looked at her friends sitting there eating cakes and drinking tea and chatting and she wanted to cry. Instead she reported, "They are eating my little cakes. Even Muscles."

"I think you should listen to what he has to say."

Vala turned to Phe. "What did he say?"

"You need to hear it from him".

"Oh, Phe.. I love him so much it hurts. He'll make me cry. "

"I don't think so. I told him if he makes you cry I will kill him."

Vala appeared shocked, Phe was not one to make idle threats.

"Unless of course he makes you happy cry. I guess I should have clear that up. Oh well. Can I send him in now?"

Vala scurried to sit at the table furthest from the door to hide her small but obvious baby bump. "Why do you want me to listen to him?"

"Because you need to know for sure you are doing the right thing." Phe hurried out.

The instant he was in the door Vala started talking, "I'm sorry I left as I did but I...

"Let me talk. Please. Phena is going to pull me out of here in an unspecified time which is probably very, very short. I need to say this."

Vala nodded.

"I'm going to make this simple. I love you. I meant that when I told you. Every time that night. That morning I was trying to let you know we shouldn't be intimate at work. Ergo the statement about it being wrong. Making love to you is everything that is right in the world. The universe. Everything. I wanted to let you know we would talk when I got back. I wanted us to live together. Plan a future. A home and maybe even kids. I wanted to say so much, but I had to go. You know I had to go. I love you. Vala, please believe me. I would love to marry you or just be with you. Whatever you want."

A small hiccup of surprise escaped as Vala tried to speak. "Oh, ah... er... Kids? We can have them?"

"Of course. I'd love to have children."

Unsure of what she wanted to say, Vala blurtedout. "I don't want to live on Earth. And you know I can't live off base. I might cut my finger and be found out as an alien!"

"I can work anywhere and live anywhere there's a Stargate. Like Teal'c."

"Here?"

"Yes, Teal'c is here."

"No, I mean we could live here?"

"There's no Stargate."

"Yes, there is."

"Nope."

"Yes, Daniel. And I love you and I would marry you but I have to tell you something."

Her statement gave Daniel a feeling of uncertainty. "What?"

She stood. "I'm...

"What the hell! You weren't going to tell me?"

"No! I was not going to ruin your life with an unwanted wife and child! I know you!"

Daniel's voice rose to new heights. "What the hell does that mean? Unwanted? I told you... I told you how I felt!"

"What you told me was that it was wrong! Wrong!"

"Damn it, Vala, that's not what I meant!"

"I. Did. Not. Know. That!"

~0i0~

Outside Phe heard the yelling and stood, whipping out one pistol like a gunslinger. But Teal'c was there standing beside her. He gently laid a hand on her arm and whispered, "Wait, Phena Tam. This is how they end up realizing that they are made for each other."

With a nod Phe holstered the gun and sat. She knew it to be true and for her ears only.

"What'd he say?" Cam asked confused.

Sam and Jack only shrugged.

~0i0~

"I can see where you might have misunderstood. I'm sorry. This is nuts. Good Nuts. A baby?" Daniel smiled. Took a step closer.

Grinning, Vala answered, "Yes."

"The only thing that could ruin my life is if I lose you! And our child. Holy buckets, Vala! I don't want to lose this."

"I know. I know. I thought you..."

"Stop. It's okay, come here." He reached for her and tenderly brought her into his embrace. "I love you. And I'm happy about the baby. Really. I over reacted. As usual. But there is no Stargate."

"Yes, there is. It's in the back of the warehouse. In a concealed room. And if you gate in and don't know the way to get out of the room or haven't requested admission to the room and beyond, you have to dial up where you came from and leave. It's very clever."

"Really?"

"Yes, darling. So can we live here? There's tons of rooms. It used to be an old castle that got converted into a warehouse, two large cottage like houses and Phe's apartment like section and miscellaneous buildings. They have a modern society here. It's safe. Has wonderful weather. But I think you need to know it's a ghost planet, it mirrors... Abydos. Sometimes life circles around and around, doesn't' it? And Phe will follow up on her death threat if you make me cry."

"Okay, but let's discuss where we live later. Do you have a private room? Where we can go. Alone. Talk. Make love. Plan."

"Hmm, alright. Yes, but... well..."

"What now?" He asked against her lips as he attempted to kiss her.

Vala whispered. "Daniel Jackson, will you marry me?"

~0i0~

Jack flipped open his watch. "Been two hours."

Phe stood. "I'll start dinner and get your rooms ready. Who sleeps with who?"

"Should that be whom? Not sure. The linguist is occupied." Jack stood, "Here's the playbook. Me and blondie share. Teal'c doesn't sleep much but needs some quiet for meditation. Mitchell will have to sleep alone."

Phe winked at Mitchell and walked away.

END ~


End file.
